ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO.

24-90 July 12, 1990

TO: THE PRESIDING JUSTICE AND ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF

APPEALS AND THE SANDIGANBAYAN, ALL JUDGES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL
COURTS, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, AND
MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, CLERKS OF COURT OF THE COURT OF
APPEALS, CLERK OF COURT OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, AND INFERIOR
COURTS AND COURT STENOGRAPHERS

SUBJECT: REVISED RULES ON TRANSCRIPTION OF STENOGRAPHIC NOTES

AND THEIR TRANSMISSION TO APPELLATE COURT

A great number of "Inherited Cases" (those heard and tried by Judges but left undecided due to
resignation, retirement, and transfer/promotion to new assignments) has accumulated and cannot be
decided or resolved promptly by incumbent Judges appointed or designated to replace their
predecessors because of lack of transcripts of stenographic notes caused by the death or the
absence of the recording stenographers who have resigned or retired and whose whereabouts are
unknown. This has delayed review of appealed cases as the records are transmitted without the
required transcripts of stenographic notes.

In order to minimize delay in the adjudication of pending cases, the following revised rules on
transcription of stenographic notes are hereby promulgated:.

1. Clerks of Court and stenographers are enjoined to faithfully comply with Rule 136, Section
17, par. 1, Rules of Court, which is quoted hereunder:

Sec. 17. Stenographers — It shall be the duty of the stenographer who has attended a session of
Court either in the morning or in the afternoon, to deliver to the Clerk of Court, immediately at the
close of such morning or afternoon session, all the notes he has taken, to be attached to the record
of the case, and it shall likewise be the duty of the Clerk to demand that the stenographer comply
with said duty. The Clerk of Court shall stamp the date on which notes are received by him. When
such notes are transcribed, the transcript shall be delivered to the Clerk, duly initialed on each page
thereof, to be attached to the records of the case.

2. (a) All stenographers are required to transcribe all stenographic notes and to
attach the transcripts to the record of the case not later than twenty (20) days from
the time the notes are taken. The attaching may be done by putting all said
transcripts in a separate folder or envelope, which will then be joined to the record of
the case.

(b) The stenographer concerned shall accomplish a verified monthly

certification as to compliance with this duty. In the absence of such
certification or for failure and/or refusal to submit it, his salary shall be
withheld.

(c) With respect to untranscribed stenographic notes as of the date of

the effectivity of this Circular all stenographers are directed to submit
the transcripts thereof not later than three (3) months from date of
effectivity of this Circular.
 3. In pending cases where he provisions of the above Section 2 have not yet been
complied with, the following rules on transcription in case of appeal shall be
observed:

(a) In civil cases appealed from the lower court to the Regional Trial Court, whether
tried under regular or summary procedure, the stenographer concerned shall
transcribe the stenographic notes within fifteen (15) days from perfection of appeal.

(b) In appeals to the Court of Appeals from the Regional Trial Court,
whether by record on appeal or by the original record, the
stenographers concerned shall transcribe their notes of the
proceedings and submit the transcripts to the Judge/Clerk of the Trial
Court, who must submit the transcripts of stenographic notes to the
Clerk of the Court of Appeals within a period of thirty (30) days from
perfection of the appeal.

(c) In criminal cases appealed from an inferior court to the Regional

Trial Court or from the latter to the Court of Appeals, the
stenographers concerned shall transcribe the stenographic notes and
file the original and four (4) copies of the transcript with the
Judge/Clerk of the Trial Court not later than twenty (20) days from the
date he was directed by the Court to transcribe his notes as provided
in Section 7, Rule 122 of the New Rules of Criminal Procedure. The
Judge/Clerk of the Trial Court shall transmit the original and three (3)
copies of the transcripts to the Clerk of Court where the appeal is
taken not later than ten (10) days from the filing of the same with the
court of origin.

4. In case a stenographer dies or is otherwise incapacitated, his untranscribed

stenographic notes shall be immediately transcribed by the other stenographers, if
this can be done. If not, and the notes untranscribed involved controverted issues, a
rehearing on those points be ordered.

5. No stenographer shall be allowed o resign from the service or allowed to retire

optionally without having transcribed all transcript of stenographic notes taken by
him. A stenographer due for compulsory retirement must submit to the Judge/Clerk
all pending transcribed stenographic notes, three (3) months before retirement date.

No terminal leave or retirement pay shall be paid to a stenographer without a verified

statement that all his transcript of stenographic notes have been transcribed and
delivered to the proper court, confined by the Executive Judge of the Court
concerned.

6. If, upon the effectivity of this Circular, a stenographer is still clearing up his
pending transcript of stenographic notes after he has compulsory retired, he shall not
be paid additional compensation.

7. A stenographer shall not be allowed to travel abroad if he has pending

untranscribed notes, unless otherwise ordered by the Court upon urgent grounds.

Administrative Circular No. 2 dated July 1, 1978 on the same subject is hereby superseded by this
Circular which shall become effective August 1, 1990.